Improvement in melodeons



Patented July 23 G. WOOD. MELODBON.

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GRANVILLE WOOD, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

Letters Patent No. 67,150, dated July, 23, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN MELODEONS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CON GERN:

Be it known that I, GRANVILLE WOOD, of Detroit, in the county of Wayne,and State of Michigan, have in ented certain Improvements in Melodeonsand other reed instruments of music; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full and exact description thereof, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification- Figure1 being a vertical section from front to back of the air-chamber of amelodeon and the adjacent parts, to which my improvement directlyrelates.

' Figure 2, a front view of a corresponding portion of a melodeom Figure3, a back view of a. similar part of a melodeou, a portion of the backpartition being removed.

Figure 4, a top view of a portion of the reed-hoard of the instrument.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

The tones of reed instruments are very sensibly affected not only by thequantity of air which passes through them, but both by the velocity ofthe air and the direction in which it impinges upon them. Thus, with theusual constructions of niclodeons, when the swell is opened, the higherand lower reeds, if before tuned in harmony, immediately becomedifferently affected by the increased volume of air, and are discordant.Hitherto no completely effectual remedy has been devised; and sinceperfect accord could be obtained only in one condition, a compromise hasbeen adopted by tuning the reeds to an even temperament between theconcords and discords, thus rendering both somewhat discordant.

The object of my invention is to take advantage of the circumstances ofthe velocity and the direction of the air as it comes to the reeds, forthe purpose of correcting the usual discordant effect of the variationin the volume and velocity of air produced by the swell, and also, indouble-recd instruments, to add variety by varying the quality of thedifferent sctsof reeds. At the same time an object has been not toincrease the size or otherwise materially change the usual dimensions,form, or proportions of such instruments as adopted by the bestmanufacturers.

The means by which I accomplish my purposes are, first, the enlargementof the capacity of the airchumber above the reeds; second, the locationof the reeds in the air-chamber at a greater distance from the swell;and third, the use of a windshield over the reeds, to cheek, diffuse,and equalize the motion of the air as it approaches the different reeds,all substantially as hereinafter specified.

In the accompanying drawings, let A represent the key-board or keys of amclodeon. I occupy the entire space under the key-board, and to as greata depth as may be without encroaching on that of the hollows below, withthe air-chamber C, into which the air islet before passing through thereeds F F. For convenience in arranging the reeds to suit my purpose, Ilocatc'the swell I'- in front of the key-board, as shown, but I lay noclaim to this more position, and the swell may be located behind thekeyboard as usual. But whatever the position of the swell I3, I locatethe rccds F F as far from (in the case represented as far back from) theswell as the construction will conveniently permit. Then I extend thecap-board I) over the reeds as shown, there being a. cavity under thatedge thereof, so as to admit the air, but thus requiring the air first;to pass backward from the swell over this board and completely reverseits direction before reachingthc reeds, thereby becoming equalized invelocity throughout the extcntof the recd-board and softened in effectupon the tones oi'the reeds. When two sets of reeds are used, I locatethem in the same chamber, C, with the reeds F F; and, since thechanging-of the direction of the air, as it strikes the reeds, softensand rounds the tones, and it is usual to voice the additional set ofreeds to somewhat coarser and louder tones than the other set, I producethis cflcct very happily and-perfectly by letting the air directly fromthe swell upon them. Or it the direction of the air on both sets shouldbe varied, one would be varied more than the other. The two sets ofreeds being in one chamber harmonize better than if in separatechambers. The cil'ect of thus having a. large air-clnnnber, G, fromwhich to supply the reeds, and of rcmoving the reeds from the directinfluence of the currents of air admitted by the swell is not only toobviate the discordance produced on the high and low reeds, in varyingthe force of the blast, but to make the tones of all the reeds rounder,fuller, and clearer. The operation of the air may be compared with thatof the flow of water, wherein the action of the large air-chamber C, ascouipared with the ordinary smaller air-space, is similar to that of alake from which the water is drawn at many difl'erent places, comparedwith that of a stream, the current of which at different places varyingin rapidity,

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I do not claim the simple enlargement of the air-space between the swelland the reeds of a melodeon or other reed instruments as a merevarietion of size, without change of construction, since in ordinarymelodeons there is,strictly speaking, no such chamber, but only a narronnpassage. Nor do I claim the emp1oyment of an air-chamber below thereeds, as my invention is intended to modify the movements of the airbefore it strikes the reeds.

What I claim as my inyention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-- The employment of an air-chamber, C, over the reeds F F, when thereeds are placed and arranged therein in such a, manner that they do notreceive the currents of air admitted by the swell direct, but changed indirection and equalized in force, substantially as and for the purposesspecified.

The above speeification ofmy improvements in meledeons and other reedinstruments signed by me this twenty-sixth day of December, 1866.

GRANVILLE WOOD.

Witnesses:

G. W. SPRAGUE, RUSSELL RoBmsoN.

